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Anatomy Associations Advisory Committee- Recently Published Guidance
The Anatomy Associations Advisory Committee has recently published Guidance pertaining to the Retention and processing of Donor Paperwork.
Documentation pertaining to individual donors and their next of kin, executors, or other contacts.
It is best practice that all documentation should be regularly audited to ensure that it is still valid and should only be retained if necessary and in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements. If documentation is stored solely in a digital format, with subsequent destruction of the original hard copy, the digital information should be stored on a secure 'backed-up' server. The person with the legal responsibility for Anatomical Examination should ensure that the digital versions are a faithful reproduction of the originals. Consent forms and any accompanying documentation should be retained for whole cadavers and body parts that are being stored or used for Anatomical Examination. Any decisions made regarding processing or disposal of documentation relating to donors who have been used for Anatomical Examination and whose remains have been released for cremation or burial should be recorded. It is reasonable to dispose of documentation relating to individuals who have died and have not been accepted for Anatomical Examination. It is also reasonable to dispose of documentation relating to individuals whose deaths have not been notified, if the individual’s age would be greater than 120 years at the time of disposal. Consideration should be given to the fact that documentation relating to donors and potential donors may be of interest to future scholars or the donors’ descendants.
For more information on the Anatomy Associations Advisory Committee please click here.
